When J. Carter arrived on the scene over two decades ago, Atlanta was a bustling city with Maynard Jackson at the helm.  Dominique Wilkins and Spud Webb rocked vintage Hawks jerseys at the Omni and music groups like XScape and TLC were playing on Mike & Carol in the Morning on V-103.

Since then, J. Carter has been instrumental in bridging the musical and cultural gaps existing in Atlanta when he was a part of the eclectic group of owners at Sugar Hill in Underground Atlanta. Yesterday, Carter sat down with Atlanta Tastemaker Magazine’s Editor-In-Chief to trace the path from just a concept to a musical reality.J. Carter introduced Atlanta to SoulFusion over 10 years ago and began a new vibe in Atlanta that stirred this melting pot into a “communal gumbo.” The people were diverse, the music was funky, and the event reached heights that not even Carter could have imagined. “We tapped into a different group of people in Atlanta. People wanted more than just the usual. We gave it to them.”

This Saturday, J. Carter will strike gold again with the OneMusic Fest with a heavy list of performers from Anthony David to headliner Chrisette Michelle. The beauty of the OneMusic Fest is the diverse crowds that are drawn into the green space of Piedmont Park. “I wanted to do OneMusic Fest to help bridge the social gaps in Atlanta. Every ‘side’ of Atlanta has its own group and things to do and very rarely do those populations mix, ” explains Carter. “The OneMusic Fest brings in artists, DJ’s, and people of all backgrounds to one place to break down those boundaries.”

With corporate sponsors like Mountain Dew, Ford, Miller Light, Absolute Vodka, and Korbel, festival goers will have their fair share of fun with Park Tavern’s annual Crab & Shrimp Festival going on simultaneously. This event is more than just good food and good times; if you’re one of the ones who decides to wait to pay for your ticket at the gate, you can save $5 off your ticket price by bringing a new or gently used instrument. All instruments will be donated to the Atlanta Music Project Foundation, an orginzation that provides instruments and musical equipment to under privileged children.

Carter notes that from the outside looking in, Atlanta looks like a hodgepodge of people who interact regularly, but true Atlanta Tastemakers know that may be a stretch of the truth. “Atlanta has so much potential to be more, do more. I see so much potential here and I created events like SolFusion and OneMusic Fest to pull out the best of Atlanta.” Well, Mr. Carter, we think it’s working!

Don’t be one of the ones talking about OneMusic Fest Monday morning around the water cooler! Get your tickets at www.onemusicfest.com.